Highest Death Toll in Khuzestan and Kermanshah Provinces with 70 Total Deaths; Amnesty International Report
According to statistics released by Amnesty International, the provinces of Khuzestan and Kermanshah have had the highest number of deaths in provincial distribution, and among cities, Kermanshah with 16 deaths, Bandar Mahshahr and Javanrood each with 14 deaths have had the highest number of casualties in the public protests.
This international organization states that the information it has gathered shows that at least 106 people have been killed by Iranian Islamic Republic officials in the recent protests in Iran.
Raha Bahraini, researcher at the Iran section of Amnesty International, confirmed in an interview with Voice of America that the organization’s preliminary report confirms the death of at least 106 people.
Amnesty International obtained these statistics based on reports from eyewitnesses, published videos, and human rights activists outside Iran.
Ms. Bahraini said in part of her interview with Voice of America: Amnesty International has requested the United Nations, the European Union, and member states of these organizations to immediately and seriously respond to these deeply concerning developments and to ask authorities to end this bloody crackdown and respect the rights of Iranians to express their views and freedom of peaceful assembly.
Concurrent with the fifth day of widespread protests in Iran against the Islamic Republic, expressions of concern about the killing of dozens of protesters by the Iranian regime have increased, and senior U.S. officials and other countries, as well as human rights organizations, have expressed concern about it.
Brian Hook, Special Representative of the United States, told Voice of America: “We have seen reports of the deaths of dozens of innocent Iranians by the regime… the leader [Khamenei] uses the Islamic Revolutionary Guards to kill innocent Iranians.”
Meanwhile, videos sent to Voice of America report direct shooting by officials in Iran at people.
In this video sent to Voice of America, officials from the top of the Basij building in Karaj shoot at people with military bullets:
♦️ ویدئو کوتاه | ماموران با #گلوله جنگی از بالای ساختمان #بسیج در #کرج به سمت #معترضان شلیک کردند pic.twitter.com/bstLMoKBO0
— VOA Farsi (@VOAIran) November 18, 2019
In this video from Saturday from Shiraz, officials fire at protesters while fleeing.
♦️ویدئو کوتاه | آرایش و هجوم مردم به سمت پلیس؛ فرار ماموران و تیراندازی به سمت #معترضان در #شیراز pic.twitter.com/Jqis16mHdZ
— VOA Farsi (@VOAIran) November 16, 2019
♦️ویدئو کوتاه | #تیراندازی از بالای ساختمان دادگستری جوانرود به سمت مردم pic.twitter.com/Qb0G2vKBE4
— VOA Farsi (@VOAIran) November 18, 2019
Mike Pompeo’s Response:
On Monday, Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, said at a press conference in response to the crackdown on protesters in Iran that America is deeply concerned about reports of several deaths and “the world is watching the behavior of the Iranian regime.”
He added that the United States is closely monitoring the ongoing protests in Iran; America strongly condemns any violent actions by the Iranian regime against the people of this country and is deeply concerned about reports of several deaths.
♦️ویدئو کوتاه | هشدار مایک #پمپئو: #رژیم_ایران دست از #خشونت علیه مردم دست بردارد؛ جهان ناظر است pic.twitter.com/Q2A8D4GkFa
— VOA Farsi (@VOAIran) November 18, 2019
The U.S. Secretary of State added that the Islamic Republic must stop using violence against its people and immediately provide all Iranians with free access to the internet.
The UN Human Rights Office spokesperson expressed deep concern about the use of military ammunition by officials against protesters in Iran. Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, said on Tuesday, November 18, expressing grave concern about the use of military ammunition by security forces in Iran against demonstrators, that according to reports, the number of deaths in these protests has been in the dozens and this level of casualties is “very serious.”
Despite the silence of Islamic Republic officials about the number of deaths in the past few days’ protests, human rights activists have reported the number of deaths as over one hundred. According to reports released by the Hengaw human rights network, in the past few days’ protests in various cities of Kurdistan, at least 34 people have been killed and 167 injured.
The fifth day of public protests in Iran continues even as the internet remains cut off and reports indicate widespread arrests in various cities.
According to reports received, these protests continued on Tuesday, November 18; however, due to internet disruption in Iran, videos and images from these protests are difficult to publish.
The “NetBlocks” organization, which monitors the internet, again wrote on its Twitter page on Monday evening, November 17, that only five percent of Iran’s internet is connected to the outside world.
Source: Voice of America
